Reforging Unity
by Maegeon
Summary: After a war that ended generations ago, Sohl has never been more peaceful and prosperous. However, there are always those who seek to gain greater power at the expense of that peace, and Chelsea could only watch as it was being taken away from not only her homeland, but also her life. Full summary and details within. AU


_Full summary:_ After a war that ended generations ago, Sohl has never been more peaceful and prosperous. Chelsea's life was simple yet content, as she helped her parents on the ranch and often visited the capital. However, there are always those who seek to gain greater power at the expense of that peace, and Chelsea could only watch as it was being taken away from not only her homeland, but also her life. All characters are taken from Harvest Moon (with a larger focus from IoH/SI), inspiration and some themes from _Fire Emblem: Awakening_. An FE:A inspired AU.

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Peace

The fields were painted with the remaining autumn crops that had yet to be harvested. The violet hues of eggplants complementing the magenta-colored yams, the bright orange carrot heads contrasting with the green shades of spinach leaves and peppers, and the soft golden glow of mature wheat alongside the rice stalks in the water paddies all expressed their ripeness and readiness to be shipped. The sky was a rich, pure cerulean with fluffy white clouds scattered here and there, and the reds and yellows of the oak trees surrounding the ranch made it a sight where even the most highly esteemed artists could not replicate on canvas.

Chelsea was no stranger to this sight, but she loved it all the same. Sitting under a lone oak tree across from her house, she could feel the gentle autumn breeze weaving through her chestnut-colored hair and through her attire, which consisted of a thin, pastel yellow jacket over a simple grey t-shirt, slightly worn-out jeans, and a pair of black mid-calf boots faded from dried dirt smudges. People have often told her that she greatly resembled her mother in appearance, who is also a brunette – minus some greying hairs – and is petite in size, though years of working as a farmer proved to others she is anything but weak. However, what Chelsea did differ from her mother she got from her father. Chelsea inherited his clear blue eyes that matched the sky, as well as his tendency of being open to all of whom she spoke. But like both parents, Chelsea had a smile that made others naturally gravitate towards her.

She took in a deep breath and sighed it out in content. As each year came and went, Chelsea not only got to see Akeran Ranch in its autumn glory but also in the winter, spring, and summer. Each season called for different crops to be grown, each with just as vibrant and pure of a color as the next, as well as a change in scenery between the oak trees and the sky. Every year the sights repeat, but Chelsea could never get tired of them. She confidently believed that even the grumpiest of people could find peace with it all.

Glancing slightly to her right, she could see a stable, barn, and coop gathered within an enclosed field. While her mother mainly tended to the crops, her father would tend to the animals, whether they were for sustaining the life of the farm, as with the cows, sheep, and chickens, or for riding, as with the horse and pegasi. Even now, Chelsea could faintly see her father's back in the stable, brushing the mane of his long-time companion.

Chelsea snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name being called. "Chelsea," her mother called again, standing in front of the opened doorway of the house, "Lunch is ready!"

"Coming!" Quickly standing up and patting her backside for any leaves, Chelsea jogged to where her mother stood. She gave her a wide grin, which was mirrored in response.

"I see that you were lazing about again."

"Can't a girl just sit back and enjoy the view for once?" Chelsea puffed up her cheeks, which led to her mother poking them in amusement.

"You know I jest," her mother giggled.

"I know," Chelsea replied, giggling as well. "So, what's for lunch today?" she eagerly asked as they both made their way to the kitchen.

"Baked yams and some stew," her mother sweetly replied, then shook her head. "We may have grown too many yams and carrots this year, but at least now we can eat more next season." Chelsea's mother removed the apron she was wearing and hanged it onto the hook next to the pantry. She then proceeded to grab some bowls and utensils, with Chelsea helping alongside her.

"Mother, you mean _you're_ going to eat more. You always finish off more than enough food than what Father and I could eat combined, and even more if you know we have extras."

Her mother blushed in response, waving her hand at Chelsea's claim. "You're exaggerating. I honestly don't eat that much."

"Well, what about that one time when Mark came to visit us after dinner and thought that we were feeding all five children from the neighbouring ranch after seeing all those dishes in the sink?"

"I was just…hungrier than usual that day," her mother shrugged, averting her eyes.

"Then how about that time when we went to go celebrate Aunt Tina's birthday and you asked for two more large servings of fried rice after finishing your first one? And one was meant to be more than enough for two people."

"I...Chelsea, now you're just making things up." her mother pouted and crossed her arms.

"I am not."

"Yes you are."

"I am not!"

"Sorry Lillian, I have to side with our girl for this one." Chelsea turned to see her father walking up towards them, chuckling at their antics. "You know," he placed a hand on Chelsea's shoulder, slightly leaning down to pretend to whisper into Chelsea's ear but more than loud enough for Lillian to hear, "After we got married, your mother ate pretty much three quarters of our wedding cake, and that was after we gave everyone a slice! You should've seen Aunt Cheryl's reaction once she found out about it!"

"Ash!" Lillian gasped, feigning hurt, "How could you! You were supposed to keep that a secret!"

"Sorry honey," her husband grinned, "It's not really a secret when everyone at the wedding found out that the cake thief wasn't a thief but just you eating it to your heart's content."

"How tall did you say it was again?" Chelsea asked, feigning forgetfulness. "Four feet?"

"Five," her father held up his hand with his fingers spread out. "Five. Feet. Imagine, three quarters of such a beast, and your mother somehow managed to fit it all into her stomach!"

"Well, that _was_ the best cake I have ever tasted in my life…" she mumbled, the blush on her cheeks still prominent. Chelsea and Ash laughed at her response, both knowing very well that Lillian more than enjoyed her food. "I thought you were still tending to the animals."

"Oh, I was. But then I heard you calling for Chelsea for lunch, so I decided to finish up and come in. Looks like I had good timing, hm?" Ash leaned forward and gave his wife a playful smirk.

Wanting to end the conversation before even more was shared, Lillian quickly gestured to her husband and daughter to sit as she went to retrieve the pot from the stove. "Ah, Chelsea," she said as she placed the stew onto the table, "Speaking of Mark earlier, I want you to bring some of our crops to his family after lunch. Let them know how things are going over here too."

"You and Father aren't coming?" Chelsea asked while reaching for and peeling her baked yam.

Lillian shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Your father and I will try and get more of the crops in, and we should prepare a bit more for the winter."

"Not to mention, we also have to fix the walls on the barn and coop a bit. I checked this morning and I could feel a draft in both. At least the stables were fine though," Ash added in, stirring around his soup to cool it down.

"I can stay and help. It'll make things go by faster."

"It's alright, sweetie. You've already been helping us more than enough. Plus, it's been a few weeks since you've last seen Mark, right?" Chelsea nodded to her mother. The past few weeks have been hectic on their ranch due to the finicky weather, from sunshine to drizzles to downpours. Even when they finally got a few days of consecutive sunshine on their crops, those days were spent going around the fields and thoroughly checking and removing for any drowned plants, which thankfully wasn't many.

"By the way, Lumia has also been brushed and fed. I know you like to do it yourself Chelsea, but today she kept giving me that look with her eyes!" he attempted to imitate it on his face to Chelsea and Lillian, tilting his head down and eyeing them with his big, round eyes. Lillian playfully shoved his arm, smiling. Ash chucked, "How could I resist? I didn't want to leave her like that."

"Thank you again then, Father," Chelsea smiled at him. It wasn't the first time her father gave in to her pegasus.

The family of three continued to chat while eating their lunch, occasionally teasing Lillian when she was the last one still eating, again. When they were all done, Chelsea helped clean up the kitchen table and then went to change into her flying attire and armour.

In contrast with the clothes she wore to help out on the farm, her flying attire consisted of a simple amber-orange dress that slightly hugged her body but loosely fell to her mid-thighs, allowing her to comfortably move around and sit on her pegasus without any restraint. She changed into a pair of dark brown knee high boots that extended to her thighs, which were held in place with belts at the top. What made her boots specially geared for pegasus riders was that the heel, ankle, and dorsal surface of her foot were cut out, giving her feet more mobility. She also wore a thick belt around her waist that crossed at the buckle on her left side, and stockings that reached just as high as her boots, held in place by garter belts.

Her light steel armour, which previously functioned as a source of protection from attacks in the war during her great-grandparents' time, now simply served as a slight barrier from the colder temperatures at higher altitudes. It consisted of a small breastplate that protected her upper torso, a pair of pauldrons for her shoulders, couters for her elbows, and gauntlets. Attached to her belt with leather straps were tassets for her upper legs, and she had on a pair of greaves for her lower legs. However, all of this armour was designed to be as light as possible for a pegasus rider while still maintaining some durability. After all, a pegasus can only carry so much weight. Checking the mirror and satisfied with her appearance, Chelsea went to head out and prepare her winged equine for the flight.

As Chelsea entered the stables, she could see Lumia with her head and neck sticking out of her stall. Lumia sensed her partner and immediately perked up as she approached. She then lowered her head and gave her rider a soft snort, eagerly nudging Chelsea's hand when she patted her snout.

"Hey there, girl. I can see that Father did a good job taking care of you today, didn't he?" she received another soft snort in response. "I hope that doesn't mean you prefer him over me now," Chelsea chuckled, though still smiling as she stroked the side of her mount's head.

Lumia, if looked from afar, looked just like any regular horse. All except for the fact that her white coat had a very faint tint of pink and, of course, giant wings that she folded onto her side whenever she was on the ground. Chelsea always made sure to brush her every day, as long as her father didn't beat her to it, and talked about anything and everything to her. Lumia became Chelsea's mount about a decade ago, and Chelsea has always been giving her a large amount of care and attention since. If dogs could be considered man's best friend, then that was what Lumia was to Chelsea.

"I've got good news for you today though. Looks like we'll be going for a ride to Mark's again. You ready?" Lumia nudged Chelsea's cheek, her warm chocolate brown eyes meeting with her rider's. Chelsea took that as a yes and opened the small wooden door that led into Lumia's stall.

At the back, Chelsea grabbed the saddle, bridle, and breastplate resting on the wall and started tacking up her pegasus. Although it's been a few weeks since both of them have gone flying together, Chelsea prepared her horse as it was second nature to her. Both Lillian and Ash ride mounts, a pegasus and a horse respectively, and they taught their daughter at a young age how to do so as well.

When Chelsea finished, she led her mount out of the stables and towards her house, though she grabbed and fumbled a bit with an iron lance near the doorway of the stables in the process. Weapons in general weren't really her forte, but if she were to engage on Lumia, a lance was the only option. She tucked the lance through a leather slot, specifically designed to hold such a weapon, which was attached to her saddle on Lumia's side. The shaft was lying horizontally under Lumia's wing, and while the spearhead peaked out in the front, it was safe enough so that if Lumia were to lower her head, she wouldn't injure herself. Grabbing the lance was more for a means of being able to fight back, if Chelsea were to get ambushed somehow. But times have been peaceful lately, with fewer and fewer reports of bandit raids occurring in Sohl, and so the lance rarely found action in battle.

As Chelsea walked to the front of the ranch house, she saw her mother come out hugging a large rucksack.

"Perfect timing. Here, honey," Lillian said as she handed over the bag. "I've packed some yams and eggplants, as well as some spinach, peppers, and rice. No carrots, as always. Your Aunt Tina can't stand them."

"At least she has Mark and Uncle Henry to help her with that." Her mother chuckled beside her as Chelsea put on the rucksack.

"Quite. It's a wonder how they can find everything delicious, no matter how poorly it's cooked."

"You mean, just like how it's a wonder you can fit so much food into your body?" Chelsea gave her mother a playful smirk, identical to the one her father gave earlier.

Changing the subject before she was teased any more, Lillian wished Chelsea a safe and smooth flight. "Remember to cover your lance once you arrive at the capital. Give Mark and his family our best wishes."

"I will." Chelsea effortlessly climbed onto the back of her mount, swinging her legs so that they hung in front of Lumia's wings hear the base of her neck. "I'll be back by nightfall."

And with that, they took off.

Gradually, they rose higher and higher into the air, until the other ranch houses and barns and stables became rectangular grey dots on top of a sea of green. Once they flew to the point where they could almost skim the underside of the clouds, Chelsea signalled to Lumia to level off.

Chelsea loved the skies. She loved the feeling of being suspended in the air on her pegasus. She loved being a part of the vast blue expanse. She loved being able to see all of the land below her, appearing as if it were quilted together with various shades of green, yellow, and orange fabrics. She loved the freedom she could feel just by being in the air, and no one could take it away from her.

Even her steed was flying more enthusiastically than usual, especially after all that time standing idly in the stables. Many who don't ride pegasi wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but since Chelsea had been flying with Lumia for so many years, she could discern the tiny nuances in her behaviors and patterns.

"You've missed this view, haven't you girl?" Chelsea leaned forward to ask, her head a bit behind Lumia's ear. Lumia snorted.

Chelsea stroked the side of Lumia's neck. "So have I." Looking past the pegasus's head, she could see the faint silhouette of their destination.

"You know," Chelsea whispered, with Lumia flicking her ear to show she heard her, "It's always comforting to know that no matter how much time has passed, this view will never change."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Hello everyone! Welcome to my fanfic, _Reforging Unity_. Brace yourselves for a relatively lengthy A/N.

First thing I want to make a note of is that while all characters that will appear in this fanfic will be from various Harvest Moon games that I have played myself (with the main characters being from IoH/SI), some themes will be from _Fire Emblem: Awakening_. As you have already seen in this chapter, pegasi, weapons, some language usage, and Chelsea's armor are from FE:A. Later on, the character classes and their respective appearances, the weapon triangle and magic, and the inspiration for some kingdoms (and the general idea of having kingdoms) will all also be from FE:A, though _none_ of the characters or kingdoms (eg. Ylisse, Plegia, Regna Ferox) will appear.

Since I rarely search around on this site, I'm not quite sure if this fanfic is considered a crossover. I have listed this fanfic under the Harvest Moon category because of the characters and farming (and later mining as well). However, if the inspirations and themes from FE:A are prevalent enough for this fanfic to be considered as a crossover, please let me know in the reviews and I will make the changes accordingly. I have added the AU warning in the summary and at the top of this chapter too just in case.

On another note, I'm pretty excited about writing this. The biggest reason why I'm creating this fanfic is to practice my writing more, though I thought it would be fun to imagine how some HM characters will be like in a war/battle setting like FE:A. I usually only write when I have the free time and motivation, so because of that, my updating schedule is very erratic and slow. This fanfic is rated T for the violent battle scenes later on, and for any romance scenes that may occur. The main pairing in this fanfic will be Chelsea and Vaughn, though there will also be other pairings as well.

As for this chapter and the next few chapters, not much action will occur. I'm trying to pace this fanfic so it doesn't rush with the battles and romance. I also looked up the terminology with respect to armor and the gear for riding horses, and I tried to briefly show what body part the respective armor piece protects. If anything, at least you guys can learn something new from this chapter, right?

For now, welcome to _Reforging Unity_ once again, and I hope you will all enjoy reading it! Reviews will be greatly appreciated.

(Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone from the Harvest Moon and the Fire Emblem series. If anything in _Reforging Unity_ happens to resemble that of another work that is not HM or FE, it is mere coincidence; I do not own that either.)


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